1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a ski binding with guide elements which can be mounted or re-fitted on a ski oriented in the binding longitudinal direction for a front and a rear jaw body, of the type specified in claim 1.
2. Prior Art
Binding manufacturers, hire shops and users have long sought means of adjusting a ski binding or adapting a ski biding to respective shoe sizes rapidly and comfortably. On this subject, reference may be made to the ski binding disclosed in patent specification DE 35 23 058 A1. It describes a ski binding with an adjusting mechanism provided in one of the jaw bodies, in particular the front jaw, by means of which the entire jaw unit comprising both jaw bodies can be fixed in different positions in the ski longitudinal direction on the one hand and the jaw distance can also be adjusted to the respective shoe sizes by means of this adjusting mechanism on the other hand. Accordingly, the heel jaw is coupled with the adjusting mechanism in the front jaw body by means of a strip-shaped connecting element. The disadvantage of this is that the adjusting mechanism in the front jaw must be made to a larger volume and the operating lever for the adjusting mechanism has to be moved into two different positions in order to be able to change the jaw distance or in order to be able to set the relative position of the binding unit with respect to the ski. This means that the user or operator of the ski has to concentrate more.
Patent specification DE 41 35 899 A1 discloses a ski binding, in which the two jaw bodies for retaining the toe-end and heel-end terminal portion of the sports shoe are accommodated and guided in longitudinal guides. Disposed between the front and the rear jaw body is a length adjusting mechanism for individually adjusting the jaw distance. The embodiments of the length adjusting mechanisms described enable either a synchronous coupled movement to be defined between two strip-shaped connecting elements to the jaw bodies or, alternatively, enable the jaw bodies to be moved independently of one another. A longitudinal positioning mechanism for this central length adjusting mechanism positions the length adjusting mechanism in at least one relative position by reference to the ski longitudinal direction. In the case of the embodiments where the two jaw bodies can be moved relative to the ski in the uncoupled state, small steps or toothed strips with relatively fine toothing are needed to enable small adjustment step widths for the jaw bodies.
Patent specification DE 100 39 816 A1 also discloses a ski binding, the jaw bodies of which are fitted so that they can be adjusted in longitudinal guides permanently secured to the ski if necessary. In this instance, mutually facing strip-shaped or strap-like connecting elements on each of the two jaw bodies co-operate with a positioning and fixing mechanism for the connecting elements disposed between the longitudinal guides. Complementary teeth on the mutually facing end portions of the connecting elements which can be moved into engagement with one another are intended to assist the process of fixing the respective distance needed between the two jaw bodies and prevent slipping as far as possible. In order to obtain sufficiently small adjustment step widths, fine teeth are provided with small tooth-to-tooth distances. In one alternative embodiment, it is proposed that an integral connecting element be provided between the jaw bodies and, by means of several orifices spaced at a distance apart from one another in the integral connecting element in the binding longitudinal direction in combination with a matching projection on the central positioning and fixing mechanism, the unit comprising the front jaw body, the integral connecting element and the rear jaw body can be positioned on a stepped basis by reference to the ski and binding longitudinal direction. However, the finely spaced teeth used to obtain small adjustment step widths make it difficult to adjust the jaw body to the respective desired positions.